Daison Pursley Harvests Corn Belt Clash at Knoxville for $12,000
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 1, 2024) – Daison Pursley made his first career point win with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series count in a big way Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway by winning the Corn Belt Clash worth $12,000. The win came aboard the Team AZ Racing #21AZ for the Locust Grove, Oklahoma driver. In 988 Lifeline 410 action, Chase Randall scored his second win of the season in that class.
Eric Schulz flipped down the backstretch before a lap could be completed in the 30-lap Corn Belt Clash feature. He was unhurt. One green, Pursley led Carson Garrett, Justin Grant, CJ Leary, and Brady Bacon. Leary and Bacon both passed Grant and Garrett to move themselves into second and third on lap two before Korbyn Hayslett slowed, bringing out the caution.
On lap four, Xavier Doney flipped while running seventh, bringing another stoppage. Bacon gained second from Leary on that restart, as he was a lone wolf on the cushion in turns one and two. The next slowdown came 12 laps in, when Logan Seavey slowed.
Pursley led Bacon, Leary, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Justin Grant back to green. Bacon hit the bottom of turn four on the restart and got a run that propelled him under Pursley for the lead in turn one. He held that lead through a lap 15 caution for Garrett, and a lap 19 slowdown for Joey Amantea.
Pursley began reeling in the two-time winner of the Corn Belt Clash and shot by with a slider in turn three on lap 22, to take the lead for good. Pursley pulled away to the win, ahead of Bacon, Thomas, Leary and Kyle Cummins, who won a back and forth battle with Justin Grant for fifth. Robert Ballou was seventh, and Mitchel Moles, Jake Swanson and hard-charger (for the second night in a row) JJ Yeley rounded out the top ten. Bacon set quick time, and Ballou, Thomas and Doney won heats. Hayslett claimed the B.
“This is huge,” said Pursley in Victory Lane. “I feel like we were close so many times. I thought I gave it away once I messed up on the restart. I thought it was over from there, because Brady doesn’t usually make any mistakes. I just tried to keep on pressuring him in three and four, and thankfully we were able to do it. I was fortunate that he missed the bottom there in three and I was able to hit the bottom and slide by. Brady is no slouch at any track, and especially if you look at the history here at Knoxville.”
“(Pursley) kind of messed up on the restart and we were able to get by him,” said the second-place Bacon. “He could just roll through the center, and kind of slide up and get a straight shot on the straightaway. I had to kind of just stay right on the berm. I just couldn’t get enough speed to keep him behind me. I was cheating getting into three and he just beat us. He ran a good race, and they were just a little better than us tonight.”
“We were constantly working on the car,” said Thomas. “It’s a full (Rock Steady Racing) team effort. Thanks to my team. We went from a 15th-place finish last night to a third. That’s what it’s all about. I just kind of stalled out once I got to third. I couldn’t do as much as I wanted to. They kind of figured out a couple little things, but a big shout out to my team.”
The 20-lap 988 Lifeline A main got off to a terrible start with a melee that involved a minimum of seven cars. After Emerson Axsom and Sawyer Phillips got together, cars involved included those of Garet Williamson, Jake Bubak, Kerry Madsen, and AJ Moeller, Tasker Phillips and Chris Martin, who were done. No one was injured.
Don Droud Jr., who will be inducted into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in July, shot out to the early lead once things went green, ahead of Aaron Reutzel, Chase Randall, Austin McCarl, and Brian Brown. Things went non-stop the rest of the way, with Droud entering lapped traffic on the eleventh circuit.
About that time, Randall used the high side of turn two in heavy traffic to get around Reutzel for second and begin his pursuit of Droud. Using the same point on the track, he shot by Droud on lap 12 and began pulling away. McCarl passed Reutzel for third on the same lap.
Randall won comfortably over Droud, Austin McCarl, Reutzel, and Brown. Jamie Ball, Hunter Schuerenberg, Lynton Jeffrey, Carson McCarl and Anthony Macri completed the top ten. Brian Brown and Bryce Lucius, making his first ever Knoxville start set quick time in their respective groups amongst the 41-car field. Austin McCarl, Jake Bubak, Sawyer Phillips, and Randall won heat races. Williamson and Martin won the B mains.
“You just got to want it,” said Randall in Victory Lane. “I want it so bad for myself and this whole (TKS Motorsports) team. They’ve given me one of the best opportunities I’ve had to compete at the top level. Starting in third, I was trying to be a little patient. It was super fast, and I knew lapped traffic would be my best bet. It kind of worked out for me. The lane kind of opened to get by Aaron in one, and we were able to get by (Droud) too. It just feels amazing to be standing here in Victory Lane, and we look forward to the future.”
Join us Saturday, June 8 for Vermeer Night! The 988 Lifeline 410’s, the 360 class, and Pro Sprints will all be in action! For more information on the Knoxville Raceway, visit us online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
Corn Belt Clash USAC National Sprint Car Results
Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 69, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK (26), 19.708; 2. 4, Justin Grant, Ione, CA (11), 19.769; 3. 15X, CJ Leary, Greenfield, IN (19), 19.863; 4. 15, Carson Garrett, Littleton, CO (10), 19.918; 5. 2B, Jake Swanson, Anaheim, CA (3), 20.027; 6. 21AZ, Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, OK (24), 20.031; 7. 57, Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA (25), 20.224; 8. 3P, Kyle Cummins, Princeton, IN (1), 20.245; 9. 74, Xavier Doney, Odessa, MO (13), 20.275; 10. 88J, Joey Amantea, Mt. Pocono, PA (7), 20.306; 11. 19AZ, Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, CA (15), 20.329; 12. 5S, Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, IN (5), 20.377; 13. 12, Robert Ballou, Rocklin, CA (20), 20.396; 14. 3R, Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, AL (18), 20.432; 15. 4J, Chase Johnson, Penngrove, CA (2), 20.485; 16. 33M, Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, OH (6), 20.495; 17. 2, JJ Yeley, Phoenix, AZ (12), 20.576; 18. 44, Wesley Smith, Nixa, MO (23), 20.640; 19. 1H, Korbyn Hayslett, Troy, OH (16), 20.933; 20. 17GP, Jadon Rogers, Worthington, IN (14), 20.981; 21. 73, Logan Calderwood, Goodyear, AZ (17), 20.998; 22. 47, Charles Davis Jr., Buckeye, AZ (8), 21.064; 23. 24M, Hunter Maddox, Bloomington, IN (4), 21.131; 24. 21K, Kobe Simpson, Bonham, TX (9), 21.322; 25. 38, Eric Schulz, Sioux Falls, SD (22), 21.428; 26. T4, Tyler Graves, Chariton, IA (21), NT
Heat one (started), 8 Laps, 2:45.6: 1. Robert Ballou (2); 2. Brady Bacon (6); 3. Joey Amantea (3); 4. Carson Garrett (5); 5. Matt Westfall (1); 6. Logan Seavey (4) / 7. Korbyn Hayslett (7); 8. Charles Davis Jr. (8); 9. Eric Schulz (9)
Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:47.2: 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. (2); 2. Kyle Cummins (4); 3. Mitchel Moles (3); 4. Jake Swanson (5); 5. Justin Grant (6); 6. JJ Yeley (1) / 7. Jadon Rogers (7); 8. Hunter Maddox (8); 9. Tyler Graves (9)
Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:48.1: 1. Xavier Doney (4); 2. Daison Pursley (5); 3. Chase Johnson (2); 4. CJ Leary (6); 5. Chase Stockon (3); 6. Wesley Smith (1) / 7. Logan Calderwood (7); 8. Kobe Simpson (8)
B main (started), 12 Laps, 2:54.7: 1. Korbyn Hayslett (1); 2. Logan Calderwood (3); 3. Charles Davis Jr. (4); 4. Jadon Rogers (2); 5. Kobe Simpson (6); 6. Eric Schulz (7) / 7. Hunter Maddox (5); 8. Tyler Graves (8)
A main (started), 30 Laps, NT: 1. Daison Pursley (1); 2. Brady Bacon (6); 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (9); 4. CJ Leary (4); 5. Kyle Cummins (11); 6. Justin Grant (5); 7. Robert Ballou (8); 8. Mitchel Moles (13); 9. Jake Swanson (2); 10. JJ Yeley (17); 11. Chase Johnson (15); 12. Matt Westfall (16); 13. Carson Garrett (3); 14. Chase Stockon (14); 15. Jadon Rogers (20); 16. Charles Davis Jr. (22); 17. Korbyn Hayslett (19); 18. Logan Calderwood (21); 19. Kobe Simpson (23); 20. Joey Amantea (12); 21. Logan Seavey (10); 22. Xavier Doney (7); 23. Wesley Smith (18); 24. Eric Schulz (24). Lap Leaders: Pursley 1-12, Bacon 13-21, Pursley 22-30. Hard-charger: Yeley.
988 Lifeline 410 Results
Time Trial Group 1 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (1), 15.831; 2. 27W, Emerson Axsom, Franklin, IN (3), 15.981; 3. 39M, Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA (5), 16.195; 4. 87, Aaron Reutzel, Clute, TX (13), 16.198; 5. 88, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (21), 16.229; 6. 55, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (7), 16.239; 7. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (4), 16.273; 8. 2, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (11), 16.318; 9. 35, Zach Hampton, Plainfield, IN (19), 16.324; 10. 3, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (8), 16.433; 11. 23, Garet Williamson, Columbia, MO (12), 16.444; 12. 27B, Jake Bubak, Arvada, CO (18), 16.473; 13. 21H, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK (2), 16.480; 14. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA (9), 16.486; 15. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (20), 16.502; 16. 25, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (14), 16.552; 17. 4, Cam Martin, Ankeny, IA (16), 16.747; 18. 20G, Noah Gass, Mounds, OK (15), 16.966; 19. 23L, Jimmy Light, West Springfield, PA (17), 17.023; 20. 9H, Landon Hansen, Newton, IA (10), 17.032; 21. 15, Jack Potter, Raymore, MO (6), 17.294
Time Trial Group 2 (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 6, Bryce Lucius, Findlay, OH (10), 16.410; 2. 4W, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (12), 16.431; 3. 19, Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO (18), 16.482; 4. 1, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (2), 16.549; 5. 45X, Jace Park, Overland Park, KS (5), 16.550; 6. 2KS, Chase Randall, Waco, TX (14), 16.580; 7. 1M, Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE (3), 16.594; 8. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (19), 16.668; 9. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (13), 16.683; 10. 12X, Roger Crockett, Broken Arrow, OK (11), 16.716; 11. 6W, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (8), 16.793; 12. 09, Matt Juhl, Tea, SD (20), 16.798; 13. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (1), 16.830; 14. 52, Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, OK (15), 16.847; 15. 95, Tyler Drueke, Eagle, NE (16), 16.894; 16. 44X, Scotty Johnson, Melcher-Dallas, IA (7), 17.132; 17. 12S, Adyn Schmidt, Haubstadt, IN (6), 17.152; 18. 15JR, Cole Mincer, Burlington, IA (17), 17.453; 19. 14T, Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. (9), 31.237; DQ (No Scale) 78, Bill Wagner, Reeder, ND (4)
Heat one (started), 8 Laps, 2:14.2: 1. Austin McCarl (4); 2. Zach Hampton (2); 3. Brian Brown (6); 4. Garet Williamson (1); 5. Carson McCarl (3); 6. Anthony Macri (5); 7. Brady Bacon (7); 8. Cam Martin (9); 9. Jimmy Light (8); 10. Jack Potter (10) DNS – Riley Goodno
Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:14.3: 1. Jake Bubak (1); 2. Lynton Jeffrey (3); 3. Aaron Reutzel (5); 4. Ayrton Gennetten (2); 5. Kerry Madsen (4); 6. Emerson Axsom (6); 7. Dusty Zomer (8); 8. Kelby Watt (7); 9. Noah Gass (9); 10. Landon Hansen (10)
Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:16.5: 1. Sawyer Phillips (2); 2. Don Droud Jr. (3); 3. Dustin Selvage (1); 4. Jace Park (4); 5. Hunter Schuerenberg (5); 6. Tyler Drueke (8); 7. Bryce Lucius (6); 8. AJ Moeller (7); 9. Adyn Schmidt (9) DNS – Brooke Tatnell
Heat four (started), 8 Laps, 2:15.9: 1. Chase Randall (4); 2. Matt Juhl (1); 3. Jamie Ball (6); 4. Roger Crockett (2); 5. Blake Hahn (7); 6. Chris Martin (3); 7. Cole Mincer (9); 8. Tasker Phillips (5); 9. Bill Wagner (10); 10. Scotty Johnson (8)
B main one (started), 12 Laps, NT: 1. Garet Williamson (2); 2. Dusty Zomer (4) / 3. Ayrton Gennetten (1); 4. Brady Bacon (3); 5. Cam Martin (6); 6. Kelby Watt (5); 7. Jimmy Light (8); 8. Jack Potter (10); 9. Noah Gass (7); 10. Landon Hansen (9) DNS – Riley Goodno
B main two (started), 12 Laps, NT: 1. Chris Martin (1); 2. AJ Moeller (5) / 3. Roger Crockett (2); 4. Blake Hahn (3); 5. Adyn Schmidt (7); 6. Scotty Johnson (8); 7. Cole Mincer (6); 8. Bill Wagner (9); 9. Tyler Drueke (4) DNS – Brooke Tatnell
A main (started), 20 Laps, 5:59.5: 1. Chase Randall (3); 2. Don Droud Jr. (1); 3. Austin McCarl (4); 4. Aaron Reutzel (2); 5. Brian Brown (6); 6. Jamie Ball (5); 7. Hunter Schuerenberg (8); 8. Lynton Jeffrey (9); 9. Carson McCarl (19); 10. Anthony Macri (11); 11. Kerry Madsen (15); 12. Garet Williamson (21); 13. Zach Hampton (13); 14. Matt Juhl (16); 15. Jace Park (12); 16. Sawyer Phillips (10); 17. Jake Bubak (17); 18. Dustin Selvage (18); 19. Bryce Lucius (14); 20. Dusty Zomer (23); 21. Emerson Axsom (7); 22. Tasker Phillips (20); 23. Chris Martin (22); 24. AJ Moeller (24). Lap Leaders: Droud 1-11, Randall 12-20. Hard-charger: C. McCarl.
Photo: Daison Pursley celebrates his Corn Belt Clash Win at Knoxville (Richard Bales Photo)